Star Wars: Five Things
by TheMuleteer
Summary: AU. A compilation of five things that never happened to a character. Leia, Palpatine, all of them. Bad Summary. Read and Review!
1. 5 Things

5 Things...

5 Things is a series of shorts revealing 5 things that never happened to a character. Say, Luke Skywalker being Luke Organa, instead. Or Leia Organa being raised by Yoda. Or Obi-Wan Kenobi being the Chosen One instead of Anakin Skywalker.

This is not an alternate history like What Might Have been...this is merely peeks into other possibilities. Some may get extended stories of their own, but conversely, many will not. If anyone finds an idea here they like, please, feel free to use them—I know that some of you are going to steal them anyway, so I may as well give you permission.

Please enjoy 5 Things...


	2. Palpatine

5 Things That Never Happened To Palpatine

* * *

I

* * *

The shuttle from Coruscant descended on Naboo. It landed right in front of the triumphant warriors as Captain Panaka said to the Neimoidian, "I think you can kiss your trade routes goodbye."

Then the ramp lowered. The first man off was an older man who wore a look of defeat. His face was one very familiar to the Naboo.

The Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala, strode forward and said to the man, "I'm sorry, Senator."

Palpatine looked at her. "The Senate made their decision; what more can be asked?" He added, "At least they _made_ a decision."

Queen Amidala nodded. Then she spoke to the other man who descended the ramp. "Congratulations, Chancellor Antilles."

The Alderaanian smiled at her. "Your boldness saved your people, Your Majesty; it is _you_ who deserves congratulation." He paused, then said, "I have always been a friend to Naboo, and this, I hope, changes nothing. I am interested in...shall we say, _sweeping_ reforms against the bureaucracy that rules the Senate now. I shall need all the assistance I can get, however. Do I have your support?" He offered the Queen his hand.

She warmly shook it. "Shall we get started, Chancellor? We have much to do."

"Clear now, the boy's fate has become, Obi-Wan. A great Jedi, he will be. Decided, the Council and I have, that young Skywalker may be trained. Do you wish to be his Master?"

"I do."

* * *

II

* * *

The Palpatines stood in their villa on Naboo, smiling at their son. He was well on his way to a promising career in politics, they could tell; his command of Basic was impeccable, and he'd already learned several other languages well enough to pass as a native child of the respective world.

Then, at the door, there were was a man. He was robed in dark attire, and he had a suspicious air to him. "Hello, Master Palpatine," the man said to the father. "I am Darth Plagueis. May I see your son?"

The parents looked at each other briefly, communicating through looks as they had learned to do. They looked at the man and said, "No, we don't think so. He's asleep, and we don't want to wake him."

"But I must insist..." he tried to move past them. They didn't budge.

"Sir, my finger is on the alert button. Half the Naboo Security Force is in the pub next door. Do you really think it wise to upset us, Master Plagueis?"

Plagueis decided that it was not worth it. "As you wish, Master Palpatine. Good night." As the Sith Lord walked away, he thought, _oh, well. There are thousands of possibilities for an apprentice in this galaxy. So what if one isn't an option?

* * *

_

III

* * *

"Sir, if I may be so bold, might I test my lightsaber abilities against yours?" The Jedi Knight asked.

"Alright, my friend. Ignite your saber." The two blades ignited into colors of gold and blue. They each saluted the other. And then they began.

The Knight's blue blade began by stabbing towards the Jedi Master, then catching his defense on the inside. The Master smirked, and spun his gold blade upside down, throwing the Knight's blade outside his guard. Then the golden lightsaber spun first above towards the shoulders, then below to the knees. The Knight parried all of these easily.

The master rolled under the Knight as the Knight leapt upward, blades sparking as they met.

Then the Knight stood, blocking an assault from the singing gold plasma.

The blue blade swung high, moving for the Master's head. The Master moved to parry easily. He did so.

And then he nearly lost his hand to the Knight's blade as it bounced off the gold saber—faster than Master Yoda's could ever move—and swept around his guard to his wrist. Only a split-second reaction saved his hand from a painful burn. Then that parry was bent around and nearly sliced the Knight's robes open.

Smiling, the Knight spun into an underhand swipe. The blue blade moved towards the Master's legs, but his gold blade parried the assault. Then the Knight held his handle upside down and, spinning the other way, swung the blade, backhanded, towards the other's blade. It blew through the Master's defenses and arrived at his neck. Smiling, the Master extinguished his blade.

"Good; very good. I think you stole that guard-bounce from Master Yoda. And I also think you stole that back-handed move from the Troll," the Master smiled.

The Knight smiled, too. "I'm not stealing from them—I'm _learning_ from them."

"Ahhh. You missed your calling. You could have been quite the diplomat with that skill at evasion and word-twisting."

"And what about _you_? You have the patience—I prefer...aggressive negotiations to 12-hours-a-day, 5-days-a-week talks."

Then a short figure approached. "Ready to speak with the Council, are you, Skywalker?"

"Yes, Master Yoda. Would you care for a rematch, Master Palpatine? I might let you win next time."

"Oh, get away from me, you nuisance, you," Jedi Master Palpatine laughed at Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. "Have fun with the Council." He knew what Skywalker was being called before the Council for; Mastery and Council seating. Perhaps he'd take up his fellow Jedi Master on that rematch challenge...

* * *

IV

* * *

"At an end, your rule is." Yoda took a fighting stance. "And not short enough it was." Palpatine leapt to the door.

Where Yoda waited. "If so powerful, you are," he said snidely as he ignited a green saber, "why leave?"

"You will not stop me. Darth Vader shall become more powerful than either one of us," he spat as he lit his crimson blade.

"Faith in your new apprentice, misplaced, may be. As is your faith in the Dark Side of the Force." Yoda saluted.

Palpatine rose his blade to come down in a sweeping stroke. But before he could, Yoda leapt inside his guard.

Then there was a burning sensation in his chest.

Then nothing at all.

* * *

V

* * *

The turbolift buzzed below him. He knew that young Skywalker and Lord Vader had exited the turbolift. A voice projected—Vader's. "Guards. Leave us." He heard the retreating footsteps of the Royal Guard—they knew better than to contest Vader's will.

The Emperor's Throne rotated to face them. "Welcome, young Skywalker. I've been expecting you. You no longer need..." He paused. Skywalker had no binders on. _This is not as I have foreseen_. Then green plasma appeared in Skywalker's hand, followed by a blood-colored blade in Vader's. _Hmm. This could be a problem_.

Vader only said, "Treachery is the way of the Sith."


	3. Leia Organa

5 Things That Never Happened To Leia Organa

* * *

I

* * *

"Leia! Leia!" The young girl leaned into the doorway to see her aunt. "Leia. Tell Uncle that if he gets a translator droid to be sure it speaks Boche." 

"Doesn't look like we'll have too much choice in the matter, but I'll remind him."

The farmgirl strode out into the desert to see her Uncle, Owen Lars, choose a red R-series droid, and then choose a gold 3PO unit. "Leia," he called her over. "Take these two droids downstairs and get them cleaned up as best you can."

Sure," Leia Skywalker said. "What's your designation?" she asked the 3PO droid.

"I am See-Threepio, at your service, m'lady." The golden droid bowed.

She smiled. "You needn't call me 'm'lady'—Leia will suffice."

"As you wish, m'lady." She smiled again, and moved over to the red R-series astromech droid. She began to speak when the thing exploded in her face.

Wiping soot out of her face, she turned to her Uncle. "Uncle Owen, I wouldn't pay for that astromech droid if I were you."

As Owen glared at the Jawas, Threepio pointed to a blue astromech. "M'lady, if I may be so bold, that R2 unit there is in fine condition. If the Jawas sell him for the same price as this—" he absent-mindedly kicked the wreckage of the red droid "—you'd be getting an incredible bargain."

"Hmm. Uncle Owen, why don't we get the blue one there?"

As Owen purchased it, the droid wheeled over. "What's his designation?"

The droid tweetled. "He is Artoo-Detoo, m'lady. And," he added to the droid, "if I were you, I would not make snide remarks about how the soot accents her face, you overweight lob of grease." If droids could glare, Threepio would have certainly done so to Artoo. "You must forgive him, m'lady. He hasn't had a memory wipe in years, so he's gone a bit...eccentric."

"It's all right. Really. Come on—let's get you two cleaned up."

* * *

II

* * *

"Young Skywalker, what troubles you?" 

"I don't know, Master. I feel as though I am missing part of myself."

"Perhaps your connection to the Force..."

"No, it is stronger than ever. I fell it through the Force...like I have a twin, somewhere out in the galaxy..."

"Hmm." The Master sighed. "Perhaps, Leia, time it is, to tell you the truth."

"What truth, Master Yoda?"

"A twin, you do have. In fact, coming, he is. Trained by another Jedi, he has been. Now, since twenty years you both are, decided that you should meet, we have." As he spoke, a ship descended. From the ship came two men; one was an old man, with worn robes and a head of white hair; the other was young, about Leia's age—was Leia's age—and wore dark brown Jedi robes, as well as a lightsaber.

"Hello, old friend," the elder man bowed to Yoda.

"Greetings, Obi-Wan," Yoda said, returning the greeting. "Hmm," he gave the younger man an appraising look. "Train him well, did you?"

"I hope so. Luke," he brought the boy forward, "this is your sister, Leia."

* * *

III

* * *

"Empress? Are you well?" 

"Hmm. I am not certain."

"Shall I call a medic?"

"No; I am well physically. But through the Force...there is something amiss."

"Well, m'lady, there I simply cannot help you. I can only offer my sympathies, and hope you will improve."

"Thank you, my friend. Is there anything else?"

"No, m'lady. Thank you, Empress."

"Thank you, Master Solo." As Solo left, the Empress Leia Skywalker couldn't help but feel that there was something about him...but she cast it aside for now.

The Empress entered her training chamber, where her brother was. "Well, Lord Vanadius? Shall we begin our duel for the day?"

"If you like, Lady Atris." He looked at her. "If I may ask, Leia, why the Sith names?"

"They are how the galaxy knows us—we should get used to the names."

"Alright, but to each other—can we still be brother and sister?"

"Of course...Luke."

* * *

IV

* * *

"Your Majesty, I must ask; what good is there to be done in antagonizing the Emperor? You know the power he has..." 

"That is the reason, Captain Typho. My aunt would not stand aside, and nor shall I. Is that not clear in my actions?"

"It is. But evicting the Imperial presence here and having the Emperor's villa put up for public auction will not bode well for us."

"We threw off the Trade Federation with twenty people and the Gungan Army. This time there is the Rebel Alliance, with thousands of members, and the Gungans are willing to put their all into this fight. I do not fear the Emperor's wrath, Captain. Nor should you."

"As you wish, Your Majesty. Shall I allow Master Kenobi to enter?"

"You shall." The door opened, revealing an elderly man in Jedi robes. Her old friend, Ben Kenobi. "Ben, how are you?"

"I am well, Leia," he said as she embraced him. "But there's some information you need to have. Some information pertaining to your aunt...and your father."

"Well, out with it, Ben—what is it?"

He seemed to hesitate, then said, "Padmé Naberrie Amidala was not your aunt—she was your mother. And your father was Anakin Skywalker."

"The Hero With No Fear? Are you serious? The one the sludgenets are always saying is in hiding and about to return to overthrow the Emperor?"

"The very one. But I'm sorry, Leia. He _is_ dead. I saw it myself. He fell into the lava at Mustafar. He didn't make it out. I'm sorry to put this on you, but it is time you knew."

"Not at all, Ben. It just further strengthens my resolve." She turned to her friend. "Ben, you served in the Clone Wars, did you not?"

"I did."

She paused. Then, "Will you help us when the Empire comes? We'll need all the help that we can get, and a Jedi Master on our side might improve matters."

"Alright. I'll do it. Not for you, Leia, but for this planet. I lost three people on Tatooine, then Tatooine itself when Vader used the Dark Side to cause both suns to go nova. I couldn't bear to lose this planet...or you, I'll admit. You have my services, Your Majesty."

Adjusting to the formalities now, Leia said, "Thank you, General Kenobi. Please head to the NSF center and coordinate a plan with Captain Typho and Colonel Tarpals."

"As you wish. Thank you, Queen Amidala."

"Thank you, Ben. Now hurry; we've not much time."

As Ben retreated, Leia Naberrie, Queen Amidala II looked out her palace windows to the city of Theed. They had little hope of victory. But she would defend this place to her death.

* * *

V

* * *

"I'm sorry, Leia. There was nothing I could do." 

"It's all right, Father. If I'm strong in the Force like they say, then I'll be fine."

"But Leia, you're about to be executed..."

"I know the details of today's agenda, Father. But I'll be just fine."

* * *

"Leia Organa, you are about to be executed by fire-squad for your Force-Potentiality. Do you have any last words?" At a no, "Then would you care for a blindfold, or will you not?"

"No blindfold."

"All right; your choice. Guard, ready!" As the blasters lowered, Leia stared at the black, featureless eyes the stormtroopers had. There was no fear in her; only victory.

"Aim!" A broad smile spread across her face.

"Fire!" Seven blaster bolts lanced in towards her. She felt a sudden tearing sensation, then her body dissolved.

And Leia Organa was one with the Force.


	4. Mara Jade

5 Things That Never Happened To Mara Jade

* * *

I

* * *

"Well, this is perfect, isn't it?" 

"It is, actually." Mara Jade stretched out in the sun as she stood on the balcony of the Corellian resort. "How did you know I'd like it?"

"I didn't. But a guy never knows with you, does he?"

She only smiled. "Are you sure Karrde won't miss us? We're going to be gone..."

"Only five days, Mara. Talon Karrde is more than capable of survival without us for five days."

"I guess you're right." She turned to see her romantic interest.

"Get used to it; I almost always am," Han Solo said with that irritating lop-sided grin that made very girl in the galaxy weak in the knees.

"Why oh why did I ever fall in love with you, Solo?"

"Simple, Jade—I'm _irresistible_."

* * *

II

* * *

"Concentrate, you must! No good will you do, if distracted you are," Yoda chastised. 

"I know, Master Yoda. But I..."

"Oh, what is this 'but' nonsense? For 800 years have I trained Jedi. Excuses, all of them have I heard. So which is yours, Jade?"

"Do you not sense it, Master? The disturbance in the Force? Someone is coming..." Jedi Mara Jade looked skyward, as did Yoda.

"Hmm. Either approach, a Jedi does, or have a very tangible excuse, you do."

"I think it's a Jedi. Small ship," Mara Jade said, slipping into her joint abilities in the Force and her love of space and piloting. "A droid with him. He's going to land...right here." She looked down at the ground she was on. "Erm, perhaps we had best relocate ourselves, Master Yoda."

"Like simians, Jedi Jade?" then he looked up and saw the disturbance. It was coming in, and _fast_. "_Move you must, Jade_!" He shoved in the Force, propelling her away from the site and into a tree as he leapt into another tree, climbing as fast as the Force enabled him. This crash was not going to bode well.

Then the X-Wing swooped in, and skipped off the swamp like a rock. It then plowed through the trunks of the trees they were on.

They only just made it off the trees into Yoda's hut as the tops of the trees hit the ground not five inches from the door.

"Like simians, Master Yoda?" Mara panted.

"An apt analogy it was. But expect to enact it, I did not." Yoda stood, brushing dust off his robes.

"Well, I think we're safe for the moment," she straightened as well.

"Hmm. But this newcomer, strange he is. Powerful, but trained not."

She reached out to sense him, and saw that Yoda was right.

She stepped out the door, and looked at the man. He was in an orange jumpsuit, and levitating his droid out of the socket he was in. He turned to her. "Who are you? Are you Yoda?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "No. I'm Mara Jade. Who are you?"

"I'm Luke Skywalker."

* * *

III

* * *

"Mara?" The red-headed woman turned. "Yeah, Wedge?" 

"We've got a newcomer. Says he wants to help," the Corellian said.

"Does he have any piloting skills?"

"He flew T-16s back on Tatooine."

"Great. Another farmboy—wait. Did you say Tatooine?" Commander Jade asked.

"Yeah. My thoughts exactly. Turns out Biggs does know him. Says he's a crack pilot, too. Should I show him to you?"

"Sure. Bring Darklighter too."

"Right." Wedge Antilles saluted and strode away. A few minutes later, Biggs Darklighter approached, his arm slung around another man's shoulders. He had blond hair and blue eyes, with a fighter pilot's stance to him.

Darklighter then saluted. "Hey, Commander! You wanted to see us? Oh, this is Luke Skywalker. Luke, this is Commander Mara Jade, Red Leader." The two shook hands. As they did, a small spark of something passed between them. She wasn't sure what it was, but she dismissed it for the moment.

"You think you can handle one of these things, pilot?" She indicated the X-Wing she stood next to.

"Are you kidding? He could probably fly one of these things blindfolded and backwards, since they're so close to a T-16," Biggs informed her.

"You ever try that, Biggs? Sure would explain a lot," she said. "Well, we'll see how you do. Good luck out there, Skywalker."

"Thanks, Commander. You, too." As she started to climb the ladder to her X-Wing, "And Commander?" She looked down at him. "It's just Luke, Commander."

"Just Mara, then, Luke."

* * *

IV

* * *

"Be prepared, Jade. I sense danger ahead for us." 

"I will, Master."

"Withdraw. They are here." The Emperor's Hand retreated into the shadows. Then, the turbolift buzzed, and the door opened, revealing Vader and Skywalker. Both strode to the Emperor's Chair. Vader spoke. "Guards, leave us." She watched as they retreated. They knew better than to contest Vader's will.

"Welcome, young Skywalker. I have been expecting you. You no longer need..." He paused. Skywalker had no binders on. Mara Jade looked as green plasma appeared in Skywalker's hand, followed by a blood-colored blade in Vader's. _Hmm. This could be a problem_.

Vader only said, "Treachery is the way of the Sith."

Then, she leapt from the shadows, and drew her own scarlet blade, stabbing it through Vader's back. "Indeed it is, Vader." Then he was gone.

She took the blade out, and levelled it at Skywalker. "Well, what is your decision? Die like Vader, or serve the Emperor?"

He stepped forward, until he was right in front of the Emperor. Then, he appeared to be ready to bow. Then, the green blade stabbed the Emperor. "Die," Skywalker said.

"So be it." She stepped forward and dueled him as the Emperor slumped in his throne, slowly dying from the hole in his chest.

Then he died, and the chair exploded in blue light. Then, suddenly, she stopped. The Emperor's control over her as gone. She looked at Skywalker and extinguished her blade. "Skywalker...?" He extended his hand; the hand of the Jedi.

She took it.

"We need to leave; this station's about to blow." He took her hand, and the two fled the Death Star.

* * *

V

* * *

The funeral pyre stood there, with Vader—no, Anakin Skywalker—atop it. Before it stood one man. He was weary, exhausted, and dressed in black. There was a lightsaber clipped at his belt. A woman in an orange flightsuit stepped up to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Luke." 

"It's just so ironic; to have saved him at last, only to lose him once more." He stabbed his torch into the pyre, lighting it.

"We'll be alright, Luke. Come on," Mara Jade gestured. "We're missing quite a celebration."

* * *

Okay, people. I need ideas. I need people. Help me out here, and REVIEW!


	5. Han Solo

5 Things That Never Happened To Han Solo

* * *

I

* * *

"Admiral Solo?" The man turned.

"Yes, Admiral Piett?" Solo regarded his counterpart.

"Lord Vader wishes an audience with you."

"He wishes or he orders, Piett?" He smiled. "I'll return...I hope." He strode from the bridge of the Executor to Darth Vader's private chambers.

"Admiral Solo, you have quite a distinguished record."

"Thank you, Lord Vader." Solo stood uncomfortably, waiting for something to happen. For the last fifteen minutes, all Vader had done was read over his records. Finally, Solo broke. "M'lord, if I may be so bold, might I ask why I was summoned before you? I hardly think you need my assistance in looking over my records."

"No, I do not." Vader shut down the holograph. "And your remark has just proven my opinion."

"And that is, Lord Vader?"

"That you are insubordinate, stubborn, and you have far too much brass." Vader coldly regarded Solo. "How many officers in the fleet do you know of that would dare be so abrupt with me?"

"You could probably count them on one hand and have fingers left over, m'lord," Han Solo said.

"Indeed I could. In fact, I'd have three left." He rose two fingers. "There is yourself and Admiral Thrawn—a friend of yours, I am told."

"Yes, m'lord. The man is a tactical genius, and he isn't overconfident or brash—"

"Like yourself?"

"—like _other_ Admirals in the fleet, m'lord. If I may say so, I am overconfident and brash with good reason; I'm rarely incorrect. And when I am, rare occasion that it is, Admiral Thrawn is there to pick up the pieces. As am I when he is simply too clever for his own good."

"Hmm. Well, this confirms it." Vader stood.

Solo snapped to attention. "M'lord?"

"You are to report to Coruscant with Admiral Piett and Admiral Thrawn. The three of you are being granted the rank of Grand Admiral."

* * *

II

* * *

"Admiral Solo?" The man turned.

"Yeah?"

"Captain Karrde would like to see you, sir."

"Talon Karrde? Let him in." Admiral Han Solo stood, smiling when he hugged his old friend. "How ya been, Talon?"

"Up to no good. You?"

"About the same. Please, sit down." Han gestured to a seat, which Karrde took. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing this time around."

"_Nothing_?" Solo leaned forward. "There's nothing that _the_ Han Solo, pirate, smuggler, Admiral of the Smuggler's Fleet can do for you?"

"Not a thing," Karrde smiled. "Just informing you that the _Wild Karrde_ is leaving the fleet."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well..." Karrde shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "We're joining the Rebellion."

Solo's feet fell off his desk. "The _Rebellion_? Are you _nuts_?" At Karrde's look, "Wait. Don't answer that; I already know." He shook his head. "Why?"

"Why not? They need the ships, they pay well—"

"Not better than me."

"—and they've offered me a general's rank in Intelligence."

"Well, that's always where your strong suit was," Solo smiled.

"Well, my entire organization is coming, so that'll be quite a dent in your fleet. Plus, we've got some others in the fleet who want to come along."

"Well, that's just fine." Karrde looked at Solo. There was no animosity, no anger at losing over half his fleet.

"No hard feelings, then?"

"Of course not. We're coming along. Haven't you heard of 'honor among thieves'?" Solo grinned. "I was going to make the announcement tomorrow, but since you've already made it clear...This is excellent. The Alliance is going to love this."

"Oh, you think they'll love this..."

"Oh, they'll love this," Solo said as he stared at the _Katana_ fleet. "Send men out to the ships, and find the _Katana_. The slave-circuits ought to still work."

Talon Karrde wore a broad grin. "We're going to get _quite_ the welcome mat at Yavin IV."

* * *

III

* * *

"Fett! I know you're here. Come out!" Solo cried in rage. He wandered through the wreckage of Concord Dawn.

"Here I am, Solo. What do you want?" Han spun. The Mandalorian was right behind him.

"In. That's what I want."

"Explain." The man in the pinched-cheek helmet gazed at him.

"I want in. The Mandalorian clans. I have an honest claim to clan Ordo, and I want in."

"That's not an explanation. _Why_?"

Solo seemed to ponder, then said, "Why? Because I got nothing else. Chewie's dead, the Rebellion went with Yavin...so you tell me, Fett? Where else do I go?"

The Mandalorian regarded him, and said "Here."

* * *

"An interesting look, Solo. Or is it Ordo?"

"Solo works fine." Han looked at himself. He wore a blue flight suit, with cold silver armor over it. The helmet had the same chilling effects as Fett's—t-shaped visor and pinched cheeks, and a mechanical voice that chilled the bones.  
"And whose is it?"

"Jango Fett's." At the turning of the blue helmet, "Yes. My father's."

The new Mandalorian said nothing. "You're learning the silence. Good."

"Well, Fett? Let's get started."

* * *

IV

* * *

"_Are you ready_?" Chewbacca looked at Solo.

"No." Solo was a mess. He was nervous beyond belief.

"_Hey_." Chewie clapped him on the shoulder. "_There's no woman in the galaxy better for you..." Then he added, "No other woman who'd have you, either_."

The comment earned him a shove. "Get away from me, you." But Solo meant nothing by it.

"_Well? She's waiting_."

* * *

"Han Solo, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, and to cherish forever in marriage?"

Han did not hesitate. "I do."

"And do you, Bria Tharen, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, and to cherish forever in marriage?"

She did not hesitate either. "I do."

"Then, by the power vested in me by the Rebel Alliance, I pronounce you husband and wife." Then Lando turned to him and said, "Well, what are you waiting for, permission? Kiss the girl!"

And Han did.

* * *

V

* * *

"Can't you outrun them? I thought you said this thing was fast."

"Watch your mouth, Kid, or you're gonna find yourself floating home. Shouldn't be too long, plus I know a few—" Solo never finished that thought because the Imperial cruiser scored a hit.

"Chewie, head back there, find out what happened!" The Wookiee ran back and gave a report over the comm. _Damn. Not good_. The hyperdrive was shot. Apparently the jostle was too much. "Sorry, boys, the hyperdrive's fried. We're in trouble."

Then the Star Destroyer fired again. This time there was no damage report to be made.

There was no _Millennium Falcon_ at all.

* * *

Yes, I'm horrible, I destroyed THE _Millennium Falcon_. But hey, it's something that never happened to him! And now, I'm in some trouble. I need ideas for who to do a '5 Things' to. Tell me in reviews! 


	6. Luke Skywalker

5 Things That Never Happened To Luke Skywalker

* * *

I

* * *

"Captain?"

Captain Luke Skywalker turned his head. The lieutenant spoke. "Sir, there's a Star Destroyer hailing us. Its IFF reads as the _Chimaera_."

"Yes? And what does Captain Pellaeon want with us?"

"Sir, he says that he has a superior with him that you will want to meet."

"Very well. Prep a starfighter. I shall go over. Lieutenant, for the time being, the _Ravager_ is yours."

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

Skywalker loved being back in the cockpit. The TIE Interceptor flew towards the _Chimaera_ as he hailed the Star Destroyer, informing them of his arrival. He was known throughout the fleet for refusing to ever use a shuttle, and always leading any and all starfighter action. Because of his unmatched kill ratio, Command did not condemn this rebuke of the rules.

Once aboard, he dropped landing gear, and climbed out. Before him was a man he knew; Captain Gilad Pellaeon. "Gilad, how are you?"

"Very good, Luke. In fact, better than good. And you?"

"Not as much starfighter action as I'd like, but what can you do?"

"Hmp," he said, mocking the disapproval of High Command. Gilad escorted his friend to the commanding officer's chambers. "I have an offer for you, Captain Skywalker. I do hope you'll take it seriously. Come in here, and I'll show you what this is all about."

Inside, there was what appeared to be an art display. Pieces from across the galaxy littered the walls and floor. And in the center of all this was a chair with a man in it. His skin was blue, and his eyes glowed red behind closed eyelids. Skywalker had heard of this man.

It was Grand Admiral Thrawn. "Captain Skywalker."

"Admiral." Skywalker gave a slightly formal bow.

"Pellaeon and I have come to a decision on a matter, and we would appreciate your accompaniment on this mission."

"You have my services whenever you wish them, Admiral. But what is this about?"

Thrawn rose, sighed, and spoke. "If you will follow us, the three of us are going to defect to the Rebel Alliance."

* * *

II

* * *

"Commander?"

Commander Luke Skywalker turned to face the lieutenant. "Yes?"

"Sir, may I have a moment of your time?"

"Certainly." Skywalker gestured for the lieutenant to come in. When he shut the door, he turned and regarded the lieutenant. "How's it coming, Biggs?"

"We've got almost all of the _Rand Ellipse_'s engines sabotaged, but if they don't make the jump to the rendezvous point at exactly the right time, they'll detonate prematurely, and that'll bring the whole ship down on our heads." Lieutenant Biggs Darklighter placed his feet up on Luke's desk. Luke briefly reflected on how glad he was to have rebuked Uncle Owen, and signed on with Biggs Darklighter and Tank—particularly that he got a higher rank than Biggs from it. "Unless you can come up with a better idea..."

"I got an idea, Biggs. You'll say I'm crazy, but I think it'd just sweeten the deal with the Rebellion..."

* * *

The _Rand Ellipse_ does not jump into hyperspace. No explosions rock the engine bay. No shots fire in the halls. No stormtroopers open fire on any treasonous officers. No sound is made at all.

In vacuum, there isn't any air for sound to go through.

The entire ship, save a few officers in the auxiliary bridge, has a crew of dead men.

* * *

"Nice idea, Luke. Worked a lot better than a shootout, anyway." Biggs reclined in his chair.

"So...now where?"

"Alderaan; the Organas will know what to do with us."

* * *

III

* * *

"Master Luke, you're standing on—" Threepio was cut off by Jabba.

"_There will be no bargain, young Jedi. I shall enjoy watching you die_." The Hutt chuckled.

Luke grabbed at a Gamorrean's blaster, and levelled it at Jabba. Unfortunately, he forgot about the Mandalorian behind him.

Then he never had the chance to forget anything ever again.

* * *

IV

* * *

"_Use the Force, Luke_." But he couldn't.

"_Let go, Luke_." He was unable to do so.

"_Luke, trust me_." He did.

But he didn't trust the Force—not yet.

He watched his targeting computer readouts as they ticked down. Then he received a quick premonition from the Force that he didn't trust in.

It wasn't quick enough. The TIE Advanced X1 fired on him.

The X-Wing labeled Red 5 winked out of existence.

* * *

V

* * *

"Master Luke? Are you ready, sir?" Threepio toddled up to Luke Skywalker, who didn't answer.

"Hey, Kid—we're waiting for you." Han Solo looked at his old friend. "What's up, buddy?"

What was up was this; Luke Skywalker, destroyer of the first Death Star, the man who stared down the Emperor and defeated him, the galaxy's greatest Jedi Master, the Republic's best-known hero...

Was scared to death.

"I was my wedding day, too, Kid. It'll pass."

"It will?" Luke looked at Han.

"No way; you just get used to it. I'll give you a little tip; she's always right. No matter what it is, she's right. It makes your life a helluva lot easier."

"Thanks for the confidence-inspiring speech, Solo," Luke glowered at his old buddy.

"Any time, Kid. Now come on; she's waiting."

* * *

"Do you, Luke Skywalker, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, and to cherish forever in marriage?"

Luke did not hesitate. "I do."

"And do you, Callista Ming, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, and to cherish forever in marriage?"

She did not hesitate either. "I do."

"Then, by the power vested in me by the New Republic, I pronounce you husband and wife." Then Wedge Antilles turned to him and said, "Well, what are you waiting for, permission? Kiss the girl!"

And Luke did.

* * *

A/N: More ideas, please! REVIEW!


	7. Anakin Skywalker

5 Things That Never Happened To Anakin Skywalker

* * *

I

* * *

"Lieutenant?"

Lieutenant Anakin Skywalker turned to face the sergeant. "Yeah, Omin?"

"Anakin, Captain Slayke wants a word."

"Sure, I'll be right there." Anakin left his temporary duties, and reported to Captain Slayke.

* * *

"Lieutenant Anakin Skywalker reporting, sir."

"Anakin, Anakin, how many times have I told you that you needn't call me 'sir'?" Captain Zozridor Slayke, leader of the Sons and Daughters of Freedom, smiled at his subordinate.

"I still feel like I ought to, though."

"Too much of that Jedi training, eh?"

"Yeah, you and your legendary contempt for Jedi," Anakin mockingly scolded Slayke.

"Hey, I only don't like Jedi, not ex-Jedi. It took a lot of guts for you to quit the Order, no matter what you say. Took a lot more courage than those vaunted fools in the Council Chambers have, and that's why I value you so much; your willingness to do the right thing, even when your superiors won't let you." Slayke laughed. "Maybe the reason I like you so much is since you remind me of myself."

"Please, Captain," Anakin started, as if trying to be modest. Then he finished. "My sense of humor is much better than yours."

"If you could shoot half as well as you backtalk, you could've joined the sniper corps."

"Thanks, Captain."

"I think, Anakin," he smiled at his second-in-command, "you should get used to calling me 'Zozridor'."

"You mind if I just call you 'Slayke'? No offense, but 'Zozridor' is a bit of a mouthful." Anakin grinned at the former Republic Captain.

"Offense taken, Jedi scum," Slayke said, smiling through the harsh words. "Go away and do what you're supposed to for once."

"Yes, sir, Slayke."

* * *

II

* * *

Obi-Wan Kenobi was met by Master Yoda. He knew that the news wouldn't be good.

"Decided, we have, on young Skywalker's fate." The old Jedi Master told Kenobi, "Train him, we will not."

* * *

In a small funeral, there was a body being set ablaze. It was Qui-Gon Jinn. Chancellor Palpatine watched the proceedings as young Skywalker entered. He sat down, and looked at the boy. "What is wrong, my dear boy?"

"The Jedi won't train me. They decided that I'm too dangerous, too old."

Behind his mask of Palpatine and sympathy, Sidious grinned widely. Even better than I'd hoped. "Would you care to walk with me, Anakin?"

As the two left the funeral, Yoda said to Mace Windu, "Always two, there are. No more, no less. A Master, and an Apprentice."

"But which was destroyed; the Master, or the Apprentice?"

* * *

III

* * *

"Well, Anakin, how are you feeling?"

Anakin did not face Obi-Wan. He continued to gaze out the Council windows across the Coruscanti skyline...and towards one building in particular...500 Republica, in fact. "I feel..."

"Unable to find words, or simply trying to find them?"

"Neither, Obi-Wan. I feel...absolutely no different."

His old friend and Master smiled at him. "That's good; I felt the same way when the Council gave me my seat and rank of Master."

"I simply couldn't believe that they'd grant it to me..."

"Anakin, why wouldn't they? You defeated Palpatine, on your own, I might add—not a feat accomplished with any level of ease, even for you."

"And here I thought you were going to complement me without a side remark."

"Well, it would be a shame to put a black mark on my record." Obi-Wan and Anakin both grinned at the friendly banter that only a few years ago would have been a serious, heated conversation. "You not only defeated Palpatine, you also were able to confess that you married Senator Amidala, and the manner in which Count Dooku died. It takes a lot of courage to do that, Anakin, a lot more than I have."

"Good of you to admit it."

"Pig-headed mechanic."

"Thanks for noticing it, Master."

Obi-Wan sighed. "You're never going to stop calling me that, are you?"

"No, Obi-Wan. I'm probably not."

* * *

IV

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on, **_WORK!_**" Annie Skywalker cursed his Podracer. The thing was failing him, and Qui-Gon was depending on him. And so was Padmé. But he couldn't control the thing; the engine first malfunctioned, then shut off completely, the other forcing him into a cliff wall.

There was regret for failing his friends.

Then there was nothing else.

* * *

V

* * *

"Stars, they're adorable."

"Well, 'cute' is the word I thought first, but 'adorable' works," Padmé grinned at Anakin.

"Wow," he said, looking at the chrono on the wall. "Who would've thought they wouldn't want to come out of there, and fought it for nine hours straight?"

"It's been _that_ long, Ani?"

"Didn't notice, did you?"

"Well, _you_ try giving birth sometime, and see how much attention _you_ can spare," Padmé said sarcastically.

"Well, there _was_ that mission to Rodia a few years back..." Anakin shuddered.

"Wait, you...do I want to know?"

"You really, really, _really_ don't want to know."

"So, Ani; what're their names?"

"How about Padmé for the girl?"

"No, Anakin; that'll be far too confusing around the house."

"Good point."

"How about Luke for the boy?"

Anakin thought. "Luke Skywalker. That has a nice ring to it. Okay, we've got Luke. What about his sister?"

"I don't know. Besides, it's your turn for a name," Padmé protested.

"Hmm." He thought for a moment. Then a mischievous look crossed his face. "How about 'noname'?"

"NO!"

"Come on, we could even use Nubian pronunciation; Nonamé Skywalker."

"Forget it, flyboy."

"Fine, then; let's hear your idea."

"How about Leia?"

"Leia Skywalker? No; it doesn't sound right."

"Your idea, then?"

He sighed. "Fine, fine; Leia it is."

Padmé grinned. "I knew you'd see things my way."

Anakin groaned. _What have I gotten myself into now?_


	8. Padmé Amidala

A/N: I'm Back! Sorry for my prolonged absence, but I was at a retreat for a time, and my computer crashedeverything lost. Took and is taking some time to rebuild. I will update once a week most likely, though if I can make once-a-day, I shall try. Thanks for understanding.

* * *

5 Things That Never Happened To Padmé Amidala

* * *

I

* * *

"Your Highness?"

She did not turn to face the Handmaiden. "Your Highness, we must leave now if we ever plan to."

The Queen still did not face her old friend. She gazed out the large window in abject sadness from what she knew she had to do.

"I don't know if I can do it."

"You can, and you must." The Handmaiden consoled her. "You have a responsibility to the Naboo and a responsibility to yourself. Is staying here and dying going to fulfill that responsibility?"

"You always know the right thing to say, don't you?" The Queen smiled wanly. She finally turned to face the Handmaiden. "Sometimes, Padmé, I cannot help but wonder why it is not you in these robes and me in those."

"Oh, Sabé, I would never have been elected; I was far too young. Perhaps with the next election, we can trade places." Padmé Naberrie smiled back.

"If there is a next time." Sabé sighed, then nodded. "Have Panaka prep the ship; we'll leave."

* * *

II

"3PO, search the ship. Make sure that Master Kenobi is not on board."

"No need to waste his time, Padmé." Obi-Wan appeared in the doorway.

"She stood. "Get off. Now." A pleading note crept into her voice. "Please, let me do this. If he can't be saved, then I'll tell you where he is. But please, Obi-Wan, let me try."

He looked resigned. "All right."

* * *

"I saw your ship."

Padmé looked up at her husband as she exited his embrace. He asked, "What are you doing out here?"

Her voice trembled. "I was worried about you." Her breathing was erratic, as though she were on the verge of sobbing. "Obi-Wan...told me terrible things," was all she could bring herself to say.

"What things?" Anakin's voice was harder than usual, but she didn't notice it.

"He said..." She breathed, "You've turned to the Dark Side. That you..." she broke off, her voice cracking, "killed younglings."

Anakin leaned down slightly and said softly in that voice of his that she had come to love, "Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me."

She shook her head. "He cares about us."

"Us?" His voice was in the same whisper, but it was not the same.

She nodded. "He knows." She stroked his arms as she said, "He wants to help you."

He smiled softly, trying to show that he was the Anakin she always had known.

"Anakin, all I want is your love." She looked into his eyes hoping against hope that she was right.

She wasn't. "Love won't save you, Padmé." She saw the change—so small, yet there it was. "Only my new powers can do that."

"At what cost?" She knew she had to try and save him. "You're a good person, don't do this!"

He was sad. "I won't lose you the way I lost my mother." So that was it. "I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of. And I'm doing it for you. To protect you." As he spoke, Anakin seemed to slip away.

She decided to try a different tactic. "Come away with me. Help me raise our child," she begged, stroking his head. "Leave everything else behind while we still can."

He changed then—like a weight had been abruptly taken off his shoulders. Neither of them had any way of knowing that it was his subconscious self throwing off the weight of Lord Sidious; there was no Vader—only what Palpatine had driven him to do. Yoda was wrong; Anakin did not choose to be a Sith—and now he made a choice that would save the galaxy.

"All right. I'll leave with you. We can't send the Chancellor a notice; he'll only try to hunt us down. Where can we go?"

"We go to Naboo—they will be far more willing to help me than Palpatine, especially with what is happening. If not the Lake House, then the Gungans, or Tatooine, or Bespin, any place. But we have to go, Ani."

He nodded. "Then let's go."

* * *

III

* * *

"Save your energy."

"I can't."

"Don't give up, Padmé." Obi-Wan gripped her shoulder.

Padmé sighed deeply. "Can you help me, Obi-Wan? Stay with me, protect me, help me?"

"I can." Obi-Wan was resolute. He owed it to the man that Vader killed.

"Then I'll try to hold on. But I need help."

"Whatever you need, Padmé," he gripped her hand and kissed it, "I'm here."

* * *

IV

* * *

"You call this a diplomatic solution?" Anakin grinned at her as he blocked an incoming blaster bolt.

"No; I call it aggressive negotiations," she returned, smirking as she shot a droid. Anakin was good with the lightsaber. But not good enough. A shot came through his guard. For a moment, there was nothing. Then there was a punch in the chest that burned. Distantly noted, it didn't hurt at all.

"No!" From far away, a voice called. A figure knelt. "Padmé, come on, you can make it!"

But Anakin was, for the second time in as many days, too late. Padmé was gone.

* * *

V

* * *

"3PO, search the ship. Make sure that Master Kenobi is not on board."

"No need to waste his time, Padmé." Obi-Wan appeared in the doorway.

"She stood. "Get off. _Now_." An edge crept into her voice. "I will do this alone. If he can't be saved, then I'll tell you where he is. But not until then."

He looked resigned. "All right."

"I saw your ship."

Padmé looked up at her husband as she exited his embrace. He asked, "What are you doing out here?"

Her voice trembled. "I was worried about you." Her breathing was erratic, as though she were on the verge of sobbing. "Obi-Wan...told me terrible things," was all she could bring herself to say.

"What things?" Anakin's voice was harder than usual, but she didn't notice it.

"He said..." She breathed, "You've turned to the Dark Side. That you..." she broke off, her voice cracking, "killed younglings."

Anakin leaned down slightly and said softly in that voice of his that she had come to love, "Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me."

She shook her head. "He cares about us."

"Us?" His voice was in the same whisper, but it was not the same.

She nodded. "He knows." She stroked his arms as she said, "He wants to help you."

He smiled softly, trying to show that he was the Anakin she always had known.

"Anakin, all I want is your love." She looked into his eyes hoping against hope that she was right.

She wasn't. "Love won't save you, Padmé." She saw the change—so small, yet there it was. "Only my new powers can do that."

"At what cost?" She knew she had to try and save him. "You're a good person, don't do this!"

He was sad. "I won't lose you the way I lost my mother." So that was it. "I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of. And I'm doing it for you. To protect you." As he spoke, Anakin seemed to slip away.

She decided to try a different tactic. "Come away with me. Help me raise our child," she begged, stroking his head. "Leave everything else behind while we still can."

"Don't you see?" Anakin smiled. "We don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic." He was vanishing into a person that she didn't recognize. "I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I—I can overthrow him," he realized as Padmé began to back away. "And together, you and I can rule the galaxy...make things the way we want them to be."

She saw the hunger for power in his eyes. Part of it frightened her. But it also..._attracted_ her. She backed away. "I don't believe what I'm hearing." She shook her head, trying to clear the intense...attraction she felt to him at that moment. "Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."

Anakin seemed to tense, then turned away for a moment before saying, "I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan." His voice darkened. "The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me."

She fought the attraction desperately, showing the desperation on her face. "I don't know you anymore." She shook visibly. "Anakin...you're breaking my heart." She began to cry. "You're going down a path I can't follow."

"Ah, but you _can_. I can see it, buried deep inside, hidden, perhaps even from yourself. You desire power as much as I do—maybe even more. You want the power Palpatine has. And so do I." Anakin—no, Vader—grinned at the revelation of Padmé's heart. "Come with _me_. We can kill Palpatine. We can have his power for ourselves. The people love us, and they'll trust us." He gazed into her troubled eyes. "That's it, isn't it? The trust. It's infectious. It's addictive. You want trust, you _need_ it. And in that trust comes power. Join me. We can end the corruption, and reform the Republic as we see fit."

She wavered, then gave in. "Yes."


	9. Jaina Solo

5 Things That Never Happened To Jaina Solo

* * *

I

* * *

"Mistress Jaina? Are you ready?" Threepio toddled up to Jaina Solo, who didn't answer.

"Hey, Sis, we're waiting for you out there." Jacen Solo looked at his twin. "What's up, Jay?"

What was up was this; Jaina Solo, Sword of the Jedi, one of the galaxy's best known Jedi Knights...

Was scared to death.

Han said, "Take it easy, Jaina. This is the easy part—it's not killing him because of the arguments in the forty years or so to come that's hard."

"Thank you very little, Dad," Jaina mock-glowered at her father.

* * *

"Do you, Jagged Fel, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, and to cherish forever in marriage?"

Jag did not hesitate. "I do."

"And do you, Jaina Solo, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, and to cherish forever in marriage?"

She did not hesitate either. "I do."

"Then, by the power vested in me by the Galactic Alliance, I pronounce you husband and wife." Then Wedge Antilles turned to him and said, "Well, what are you waiting for, Jag? Kiss the girl!"

And Jag did.

* * *

II

* * *

"Rogues." Gavin Darklighter's cry caught Jaina off guard. "Somebody just sucked _Champ_'s shields. Get clear!"

What had they done, brought in another big one just outside Jaina's line of sight? She wrenched her stick and punched for full speed.

She was passing _Champion_'s port nacelle when light broke through from deep inside. Slowly, with an eerie, fatal beauty, a seam opened on _Champ_'s glossy side.

"Sticks," a voice shouted in her ear. "Eleven, get clear!"

"Full power, Sparky!" Jaina called to her R2. "Go—"

The blast flung her against her instrument panel. Rudder panels seemed to crush up through her legs. Her cockpit's sides buckled, then vanished. A siren shrieked in her ears, blaring in rhythm with a synthesized voice.

"Ejection. Ejection."

She flailed down into the Force, grasping desperately. Almost...

A white explosion of pain washed awareness away.

Then a black tide washed the pain and everything else away for all time.

* * *

III

* * *

"A new queen will be named very soon."

Another faint murmur rippled through the hall, rising in volume as two young women strode forward. The crowd fell back to let them pass.

Jaina noticed that Ta'a Chume's eyes flickered from her to Tenel Ka, lingering on neither. The queen removed the crown she'd just donned and handed it to the prince. Through the Force, Jaina felt the woman's faint, feline satisfaction.

Suddenly, she understood. If Isolder offered Jaina the crown now, at a time of crisis and before a roomful of people, she could hardly refuse it. Ta'a Chume fully expected Jaina to eagerly seize the power. With stunning clarity, Jaina glimpsed herself through Ta'a Chume's eyes. When the queen looked upon the Jedi pilot, she saw a younger version of herself.

They stopped at the front of the audience chamber. Tenel Ka turned to face Jaina. "There are times when personal inclinations must be put aside. But I can see that this is not one of them. I have no desire to lead others, and I can see that it is a skill that you possess far more readily than me. You will take up my mother's crown, and I will defend it and you if I must. But for now, we have a common foe."

The Jedi women regarded each other for a long, silent moment.

"Let's go," Jaina said.

A faint smile touched Tenel Ka's lips. Jaina strode over to Isolder, and dropped to one knee. Without hesitation he placed the crown on her head.

* * *

IV

* * *

Jaina awakened from the vision with a start, breathing as hard as if she'd just run a twenty-kilometer sprint with Tenel Ka. Slowly she became aware of an urgent voice, and turned dazedly to face it. She recoiled at the sight of Kyp Durron's concerned face.

"You brought me out of the trance. Why?"

He rocked back on his heels and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe I have some sense of what you were going through."

She shook him off, but she couldn't dismiss that there was something compelling in Kyp's watchful green eyes that, for once, had nothing to do with the Force. And something else there, too...

"Whatever you're planning, forget it." Jaina scoffed, and started to move away. "I get the feeling you're about to toss your life away, sacrificing it as Anakin did. Not long ago, you told me that Anakin might have had the answers. We can't let them just disappear into mist along with you."

We _can't, or_ you _can't, Kyp?_ "Don't put that on me," Jaina said slowly. "You really think I'm on a journey to discover what the Jedi should be?"

"It makes sense," Kyp said. "You've got the talent, the heritage. Maybe there's something to all this talk of destiny."

She would not look at him. "Get out."

"No."

Then she turned. "No?"

"No." He stepped towards her. "I'm not leaving you to get yourself killed, and I'm not going to just quietly go out of your life." He got very close to her then, and said softly, "Did you really think that I'd just walk away?"

Then Jaina lashed out with a right that, had he not caught it, would have knocked his nose to the other side of his head. His grip was soft but firm, unrelenting. As was his gaze. Then she angrily threw a left, which he also caught. Emotion overwhelming her, she started to cry. Using his grip on her arms, he pulled her into an embrace that she could not have escaped, even if she wanted to.

Which she didn't. As she sobbed quietly into his shoulder, he said softly, "I'll never leave. No matter what happens, I'll always be here for you. Always."

Those were the last words he said to her before their lips met.

* * *

V

* * *

"Lady Viraga?"

The girl did not turn. Lady Lumiya came and stood beside her. "Quite a sight, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

They both gazed out through space at Yavin IV. "It has been a long time since I was here."

"Yes, I know. Painful memories?"

"Mostly from the Shadow Academy."

Lumiya flinched. "What happened to you there was horrid. No child should ever go through that."

Viraga, her name rooted in the word 'virago', turned to Lumiya. "It was, until you came and destroyed it. Rescuing me, my brother and Lowie, sending them back to Yavin IV, that was very kind of you."

"It just goes to show that not all people who take the title 'Sith' are evil."

"And that not all those who don't take the title are good." She shuddered, remembering, despite what Lumiya had tried to help her forget, what horrible things Brakiss and Tamith Kai had done to her and Jacen. "I'm glad I came with you."

"And so am I, Lady Viraga." Then Lumiya closed her eyes, focused, and became Shira Brie.

"Jaina, ready to go home?"

Lady of the Sith Viraga, once called Jaina Solo, smiled with Jaina Solo's smile, and spoke in Jaina Solo's voice. "Yes, I am."


	10. Anakin Solo

5 Things That Never Happened To Anakin Solo

* * *

I

* * *

"Master Anakin? Are you ready?" Threepio toddled up to Anakin Solo, who didn't answer.

"Hey, Kid—we're waiting for you." Han Solo looked at his youngest son. "What's up, kiddo?"

What was up was this; Anakin Solo, champion of the Yuuzhan Vong War, savior of the Yuuzhan Vong themselves, the man who stared down the Supreme Overlord Shimrra and defeated him, the galaxy's greatest Jedi Master, the Galactic Alliance's best-known hero...

Was terrified of the prospect of being married. Never mind that this was the love of his life he would be married to, but the idea was just...scary.

"I was my wedding day, too, Anakin," Jacen said, stepping up to his brother's side. "The idea of marrying Tenel terrified me. But y'know somethin'?" he asked as he slung an arm around his sibling. "It'll pass."

"It will?" Anakin looked at his brother.

"Not really; I lied. You just get used to it. I'll give you a little tip; she's always right. No matter what it is, she's right. It makes your life a helluva lot easier."

"Thanks for the confidence-inspiring speech, Jace," Anakin glowered at his older brother and fellow Master.

"Any time, little bro. Now come on; she's waiting."

* * *

"Do you, Anakin Solo, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, and to cherish forever in marriage?"

Anakin hesitated a second, and then said confidently, "I do."

"And do you, Tahiri Veila, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, and to cherish forever in marriage?"

She hesitated a second less than he did, taking a glance at her eternally bare feet. "I do."

"Then, by the power vested in me by both the Galactic Alliance and the New Jedi Order, I pronounce you husband and wife." Then Jacen Solo turned to him and said, "Well, what are you staring at me for, brother?" He pointed at the Tusken-raised blonde. "The pretty one's over there."

* * *

II

* * *

Han handed off the toddler and rushed back for the cockpit, knowing the two could never get back to the _Falcon_ against this mounting storm. He brought the _Falcon_ in fast but steady, moving to the spot even as Chewie lifted Anakin in his arms.

Han locked her in place and rushed back to the landing ramp, pushing aside those who had moved into position to help. But the _Falcon_ couldn't hold position now, and she drifted up and to the side—or maybe it was the ground slipping down and to the side—her engines roaring in protest.

"Chewie!" he cried, hanging right off the ramp now. Several others crowded about Han, holding him in place by the legs. He reached desperately for the Wookiee, but the Falcon was up too high.

The ground rolled and bucked, and suddenly, Chewie and Anakin were far, far away.

Han rushed back to the cockpit. He worked furiously over the controls, bringing the Falcon around, swerving about buildings. The communicators crackled with the frantic cries from other ships, some blasting away, others unsure where to go.

Han ignored them all, focused entirely on finding his lost Wookiee friend and his youngest son.

"Where are they?" He spun the ship, trying to spot them. There! He swooped down, trying to get closer. The two turned around and took a few steps towards the _Falcon_. Then a burst of tremendous, hot wind blasted through, tossing the two to the ground and shoving the _Falcon_ back, up into the sky.

A detached part of Han made the necessary motions with the controls, taking the ship out of the atmosphere. The rest of him, though, screamed with agony as he watched.

He saw the battered and bloodied duo regain their footing, stand high on a pile of rubble, and, arms and weapons brandished, faced the descending moon of Dobido with defiant roars.

And then Dobido and Sernpidal met.

And Han Solo, having lost two of the most important people in the galaxy to him, shattered.

* * *

III

* * *

"Anakin?"

Anakin did not turn to meet the eyes of the querying Jedi behind him.

"Anakin, how did you escape?"

_Oh, she wants to know how I beat my way past the voxyn and their queen_. Part of him wanted her to know. She will sooner or later, anyway.

He finally turned, and his and Tahiri's eyes met.

Hers were emerald.

His were yellow.

* * *

IV

* * *

"Take the shot!" Sal-Solo hissed through his clenched teeth. "Take it!"

"For the Mrlssi," a more plaintive voice added.

"For the sake of the New Republic," the captain said.

"No, my boy, no," Ebrihim and Q9 said.

As many voices vied for prominence in Anakin's mind as in the control room. He heard the heartfelt words of his mother and father, the harsh voice of Jacen and the understanding voice of Jaina, the counsel of Uncle Luke...

Anakin ignored them all; even the quiet voice of his brother saying, "Anakin, don't. You're a Jedi; you can't do this."

_Yes, I can_. He thought, _it's rather like someone pointing a blaster at a friend; I'm going to sever that blaster, rather than just stand there and do nothing. The Vong are aiming a fleet at Fondor and the Hapans. They won't win if **I** have anything to say about it._

And so he ignored them all, focussed on the point in space, and gently pulled the trigger.

As he expected, he felt nothing from the Vong. However, after a few seconds he felt the surprise and jubilation from the Republic and Hapan forces. He'd succeeded.

* * *

V

* * *

"Anakin, try to hold on," Tahiri said quietly. Stuck in the cold, airless station of Yag'Dhul, they passed a mask of air between them, trying to hold out for a little while longer. They weren't succeeding well.

"I can't; not for long," he quietly. "I'm not going to let you suffocate so I can live." So he moved the mask away from his mouth, and strapped it onto her protesting face. "I can do a meditation trance; you can't. Besides, Corran will be back soon enough for you."

"But, Anakin," the blonde girl's voice was muffled behind the mask. "With this cold _and_ no air, you'll die."

He smiled mirthlessly. "If I do, well..." he kissed her cheek. "I can't think of a better person to die for."

"But, Anakin, please..." As he entered the trance—and, inevitably, the Force, forever—she said, "please...I love you."

And as he slipped away, he whispered five words; "I know. Me too, you." And then he was gone.

* * *

A/N: Bet you'd thought I'd forgotten you!! See everybody soon--just need to do some more background research for my next one...in the meantime, do me a favor and drop a review? Or two...or three...or five...hundred...something...


	11. Boba Fett

5 Things That Never Happened To Boba Fett

* * *

I

* * *

"Remember, gently pull; don't squeeze."

"I know what I'm doing, Dad," the child muttered.

A flash of red light shot from the laser rifle, and into the target's 'head'.

"I told you so," the little one said smarmily.

"You learn that tone from your mother?" Boba Fett asked amusedly.

"Well, yeah; not like I learned it from the silent monk," Ailyn Fett shot back at him. "You hardly ever talk."

"Some people talk very much, and say little."

"Monk," the bounty hunter's daughter muttered under her breath.

Then the other woman of the group came up. "Who made that shot, Ailyn? You?"

"Yep," the girl said simply.

"Well, go on; put it in the records. I don't know if your father's even shot that far before," Sintas Vel smiled at the Mandalorian.

"I think you are inflating my daughter's ego."

"I think I'm deflating yours. We seem to be at an impasse," Sintas returned.

"Then I propose a test; see just how far the both of us can shoot," the Mandalorian said, donning his helmet.

As the pair walked off arm in arm, Sintas said, "Y'know, I never thought you'd do it."

"Give up hunting, settle down with my daughter?"

"I thought that, when I told you, at best I could expect maybe a few hundred credits and a warning to leave you alone," she shook her head. "I never expected you to take us in."

"Well, what else was I to do with my family? We Mandalorians take care of our own."

"Yep, that's us," she smiled at the face behind the helmet that she just knew was smiling back, "a family of natural-born killers."

* * *

II

* * *

_Boop._

"Boba." Came a firm voice from under the _Slave I_'s command console.

"Yeah?" Responded an equally gruff thirty-year-old male, wearing worn green-and-grey armour. He looked at the pair of faded blue armoured legs that were protruding from the console as though the ship had decided to take on an active career as a carnivorous beast, and the man in the blue armour was its first, unresisting prey.

From within the console came, "Answer the comm, will you, lad? It's been going off for ever."

Wordlessly obeying as he replaced his helmet onto his head, he keyed the communications console, and the comm sprang to life. It projected before the Mandalorian the image of a monster dressed in darkest night and a nightmarish helmet. It was a very familiar face; one he had in fact, tried to kill on one previous occasion.

"Lord Vader," Fett tilted his helmet the slightest bit, a courtesy he normally did not bestow upon any callers. After all, he considered internally, it could never hurt to be at least slightly gracious to a Sith Lord...especially one that you had tried, and came very close to, killing.

"Fett," the other helmeted man tilted his in return. "Are you near the Anoat system?"

"Perhaps," Boba said tersely. "Why?"

"I am in need of your particular talents for hunting down a certain Rebel ship that is a particularly venomous thorn in my side, and for you locating it, the rewards will be astronomical...even for you," he finished.

Fett tilted his head slightly. His service fees to the Empire were usually rather exorbitant, mostly because he knew he could get it out of them. For the Empire to give him what _he_ considered astronomical amounts of credits...

"The job?"

"Solo," the Sith intoned, "and his ship. They are carrying Organa, and I wish very much for the both of them to be taken care of."

"I'm free to use _any_ methods?"

The fallen Jedi levelled a finger at him. "No disintegrations; I want them _alive_. Otherwise, do as you will."

"Their location?"

"The Hoth Asteroid Belt. We are currently trying to drive them out, without success. You assistance..." _it must pain Vader greatly to have to ask for help_, he thought, "would be appreciated."

"We will be on station presently," he said, immediately thereafter disconnecting the line.

The blue-armoured man shot out from the console, as though the carnivorous _Firespray_ decided he wasn't worth eating. "Hoth?"

"Already putting the coordinates in," Fett said.

"Good boy," his father nodded.

"Thanks ever so," Fett said sarcastically. _Sometimes I wonder just how different things would be if I had just been smart and let the Jedi kill him.

* * *

_

III

* * *

"Boba Fett?!"

Fett ignored Solo as he aimed at Skywalker. _He was just..._

"Boba Fett?! Where?!" Then he felt a sudden jab in his jetpack, and—

He was flying through the air. Distantly, he cursed Solo, the blind fool, for wrecking his jetpack.

Then he hit the side of Jabba's sail barge.

Under his breath, he muttered something coarse.

Then, he was rolling down the sandy hill before he could stop himself, and he could not find a profanity harsh enough to describe what ran through his head at that moment. _Oh..._ was as close as he came.

Then the beak of the Sarlaac snapped shut around his helmet, and he knew no more.

* * *

IV

* * *

The door chimed.

Boba Fett opened it to see a familiar face.

"Evening, Taun We," he nodded to the long-necked Kaminoan. As he did so, he took in her companion. He was tall, yet unremarkable, save for the brown robes and obvious lightsaber clinging to his belt.

"Boba," she began, "this is Jedi Knight Sorn. He claims that he can sense some form of disturbance through the Force, and it is emanating from this room." She tilted her head, an odd motion for the cloner mistress. "Does he have reason to suspect so?"

"I don't think so," he shook his head. Disturbance in the Force? What nonsense was...?

"No...It's this boy," Sorn seemed confused. "You say he's..."

"Yes, the same as his father," Taun We nodded.

"Yet..." The Jedi seemed amazed. "It's unheard of for someone of his unique details, but he's Force-sensitive."

* * *

V

The blast echoed through his helmet as he heard one of his commandos cry, "Come on!" _I'm getting too old for this kind of nonsense_, he reflected.

It still confused the hell out of him to this day why he, Boba Fett, the new Mandalore, had approached the Galactic Alliance and offered his assistance with Mandalore behind him. Perhaps it was because they needed the assistance in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong, or perhaps it was because he knew that he would not be able to survive in a galaxy controlled by the sadistic scarheads.

But nonetheless, he and an elite unit of Mandalorians had signed on to the Alliance, becoming Special Forces Unit 1138—or, as Colonel Fett and his men preferred, Mandalore's Fist. Willing to be dropped anywhere, fight on any planet, they were the top notch of the galaxy's best soldiers. The mere 36 of them had been able to completely wipe out the Vong presence on seven different worlds, now, losing only two men in the past eighteen operations.

As the commendations and promotions accumulated, Fett also distantly wondered why he hadn't signed up for this in the first place. Certainly, it was for a ludicrously idealistic cause, but it gave him a lot more firepower, government salary, and a full license to kill. It was, to his calculating mind, a fair trade.

And as he and Mandalore's Fist, along with Wraith Squadron, blasted through each quadrant of Coruscant to force the scarred invaders out the way they came, he smiled behind his mask. While he was getting too old for this nonsense, as he took the top half of a Vong warrior off with his wrist rocket, he thought smarmily, _I've still got it._

_

* * *

_

Author's Notes: Yes, I know turning him into a Jedi is kinda -ish, but how 'bout the Mandalore's Fist bit? Believable? Expandable? Gimme opinions, here, people.


End file.
